Artists’ Business Initiative (ABI) grants encourage and enable the creation, expansion, or modification of artist-driven, arts-based business initiatives that will provide career satisfaction and sustainability for South Carolina artists.
Donor Name: South Carolina Arts Commission
State: South Carolina
County: Allendale County (SC), Bamberg County (SC), Calhoun County (SC), Edgefield County (SC), Hampton County (SC), Lee County (SC), Marlboro County (SC), Saluda County (SC), Union County (SC), Williamsburg County (SC)
Type of Grant: Grant | Reimbursement
Deadline: 12/18/2025
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
Funding Information
- Up to $5,000
- Expense reimbursement based on fulfillment of grant requirements.
Grant Period
July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027.
Uses of Funds
ABI funding may be used:
- To help launch a new arts-based business initiative (or significantly alter an existing business initiative) that will operate in an ongoing manner.
- To help execute a temporary business initiative (a one-time business occurrence or single purchase) that will provide career satisfaction and sustainability.
Geographical Areas
Priority will be given to projects in SCAC’s Opportunity Initiative Counties:
- Allendale
- Bamberg
- Calhoun
- Edgefield
- Hampton
- Lee
- Marlboro
- Saluda
- Union
- Williamsburg.
Eligibility Criteria
The applicant must meet all of the following eligibility requirements:
- Be a professional-caliber working artist or group of artists working in collaboration, in one or more of the following artistic disciplines:
- Dance (choreography or performance).
- Music (production, composition, songwriting, or performance).
- Opera/musical theatre (producing, directing, performance, or libretto/playwriting).
- Theatre (producing, directing, performance, or playwriting).
- Visual arts (painting, drawing, mixed-media, sculpture, or printmaking).
- Crafts (ceramics, fiber, glass, leather, metal, paper, plastic, or wood).
- Photography.
- Design arts (architecture, fashion, theatrical, graphic, industrial, or interior).
- Media arts (TV or film production, performance, film, screenwriting, or animation).
- Folklife/Traditional arts (quilting, embroidery, sewing, beading, weaving, pottery, basketmaking, woodcarving, folk music, dance, or oral literature).
- Literature (poetry or prose).
- Spoken word/slam poetry.
- Interdisciplinary (installation, sound, video art, computer-generated art, or performance art).
- Public art (ephemeral or permanent).
- Be a legal resident of the U.S. and S.C., with a permanent residence in the state for at least one year prior to the application and throughout the grant period.
- Be 18 years of age or older at the time of application.
- Not be a degree-seeking student during the grant period.
- Past recipients of the ABI or AVI (Artists’ Ventures Initiative) grant may not reapply. Additional funds may be available through Arts Project Support grants.
- Commissioners and staff of the S.C. Arts Commission and members of their immediate families are not eligible to apply for any individual SCAC programs, grants, fellowships, or services that provide financial support or career recognition.
For more information, visit SCAC.
